The Only Water in the Forest is the River
by Pottalova
Summary: Post-A Good Man Goes to War, the doctor finds a young River/Melody, but she isn't what he expected. Eventual Doctor/River, but not until she's older.


"River!" A short Irish woman called out behind her, "River, Sweetie! Be a dear and put some tea on for our guest."

"Yes Ma'm," the little girl replied.

"So." The woman popped a bubble of her gum. "Is this your first time in New York?" The man on her doorstep didn't answer, but she refused to take her eyes off him for a minute, surreptitiously pulling curlers out of her hair as she waited for him to make a move.

"Do you mind if I…" He motioned towards the interior, indicating his desire to enter.

"Of course!" The woman said. She stepped aside, allowing him in. "Why don't you join River in the kitchen for some tea while I…" The woman cleared her throat suggestively. "…freshen up."

Obliviously, the man followed her instructions through the creaky house to the kitchen. The walls were yellowed from cigarette smoke and there was a faint hint of cat piss, but he didn't seem to notice. Or he just didn't care. He just followed the peeling wallpaper, staring intently down the other end of the hall.

At the other side of the building, 7-year-old River Song stood on the countertops, pulling down the teacups from the top shelf. She turned around just as the Doctor entered the room and dropped the cups on the floor in shock at the sight of him.

"Hello, Sweetie," He smiled up at her, making his way towards her perch on the greasy, chipped tile.

"River?" The woman called down the stairs. "What happened, honey? Did something break?"

"It's fine, Mary," River called back up to her, refusing to take her angry, determined eyes off the doctor, "I'll take care of it, don't worry."

"No, I don't want you to hurt yourself on the glass. I'll be down in just a second." Mary replied.

"It's alright, I've got it, I've got it." The Doctor yelled back impatiently.

"Thank you! But really, I'll be down in a couple moments."

"I don't really got it," The Doctor said conspiratorially to the little girl, "but by the time she notices we'll be halfway across the universe. Come on." He took a few steps forward, crunching over the broken glass. His arms were outstretched, expectantly waiting for her to jump towards him, as she had so many times before, so they could go off on another adventure.

Just before she was in his reach, River ducked down towards the sink next to her and picked up a butcher knife. Before the Doctor could even realize what was happening, she was holding it at his throat. "What are you really doing here?" She hissed, "Come back to finish the job?"

"Melody," he replied, calmly raising his hands above his head in surrender, "What are you doing?"

She faltered for a moment in surprise, then pushed the knife even closer towards his jugular and leaned right into his face, precariously inclined over the sharp glass shards beneath. "Answer my question."

"River?" Mary asked, rounding the corner around the banister of the stairs. "What are you up to?"

"N—nothing." River fumbled to hide the knife, but slipped on the slippery surface beneath her and fell, head first, on the glass littered ground.

"River!" Mary screamed, throwing herself on the floor and crawling over the glass towards the girl.

"Stay back!" The Doctor ordered, already on the ground next to her, cradling her head in his arms. "River," he crooned, "River stay with me. Stay with me River. It's too soon. Stay with me River." With his bare hand, he wiped a bit of blood spilling down her face away before it reached her eyes. "River stay with me."

In one motion he swooped her up in his arms and started running out the door.

"Stop!" Mary yelled after him. "She needs to be taken to the hospital. Stop!" Mary wrapped herself around whatever part of him she could, which happened to be his waist, and pulled backwards, trying to reason with him. "We need to call the ambulance!"

He wretched himself out of her grasp, but she only let go for a second, grabbing hold of his foot when she couldn't grasp anything else. "Listen to me. Listen to me closely." He looked down at her coldly. "Your doctors can do nothing for her. Do you hear me? NOTHING. Now you're going to let me go so I can **save her life** because I don't have time for this conversation." He kicked her hands off his foot and stormed out the door, mumbling worriedly under his breath, "_She_ doesn't have time for this."


End file.
